Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 2 · 2017. 1. 12. · 2016 U U U ® U U 2 Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 2 Practice Card Reminder: At the end of this practice, remember to distribute

©2016 Upward Unlimited. Upward® is a registered trademark of Upward Unlimited. 1

Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 1Instructions:

Gather players together in a circle and ask everyone to share their names.

Say:

Let’s play a game to get to know each other better. When I say, “Go!” I want everyone to:

› Find someone who likes two foods that you like

› Then find someone who likes to do an activity that you like to do (baseball doesn’t count)

› Then find someone who is afraid of one thing that you’re afraid of too

One more thing! None of the above people can be the same. They all must be different. As soon as you have found the three people that can match each of these things, shout it out! Ready? Begin! (After the first player shouts out that he/she is finished, encourage everyone else to continue playing until everyone finds three people to match one of the categories.)

That was fun! Getting to know each other better is something that we’ll do a lot of this season. As a team, we’ll work hard to encourage one another to do our best at practices and games!

As you play games during your Upward Baseball Season, you will be rewarded afterward with different cards that display colored stars, each star meaning something special. Your actions, attitudes and words on game day will determine which star card you will get.

These are the game day stars and what they mean:

› The blue star represents EFFORT: What does it mean to show effort? It means working hard to perform your best at all times.

› The gold star represents SPORTSMANSHIP: What does it mean to show sportsmanship? It means treating the people you play with and against the same way you want to be treated. You show respect for yourself, your teammates, opponents, the umpires and the coach. You play fair and follow the rules.

› The gray star represents OFFENSE: What should you do when you play offense? The offense is responsible for scoring runs. This means doing your best not only in hitting the ball, but also being smart in your base running and decision making.

› The red star represents DEFENSE: What should you do when you play defense? The defense is responsible for preventing runs from being scored. This requires catching the ball correctly when it’s hit to you, throwing it accurately to get a player out, and, for the pitcher, throwing the ball correctly to hopefully strike the batter out.

› The orange star represents LEADERSHIP: What does it mean to be a good leader? Being a good leader means being a good example to others. You show others your leadership by the choices you make and how you treat others on and off the field.

› The white star represents CHRISTLIKENESS: What does it mean to be Christlike? Being Christlike means to do your best to imitate Jesus in every way – through words, attitude and actions. It means loving others and following God’s Word in the Bible; choosing God over the temptations in the world around you.

Our team is going to have a great season! Let’s pray and then get back to practice. (Lead the team in short prayer as you thank God for all the players and a great season ahead.)

16-17 BSLDevotions.indd 1 12/3/15 2:39 PM


Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 2Practice Card Reminder: At the end of this practice, remember to distribute a Scripture Card to each player. Introduce:

› Virtue: CONVICTION— Standing for what is right even when others don’t.

› Scripture Verse: Brothers and sisters, don’t ever get tired of doing what is good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 NIrV

Bottom Line: You can make a difference right now.

Today I want to talk to you for a few minutes about what it means to have conviction. Have you guys ever heard that word before? Conviction is standing for what is right even when others don’t.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were the only one choosing to do the right thing? Like, maybe your teacher had to step out of the classroom for a minute and everyone in the room went crazy, but you knew that the right thing was to sit quietly until she returned. Or what if there’s a new kid in your class who doesn’t speak English and everyone around you is laughing at his accent? You’re tempted to laugh too but you know that’s not kind. What happens when you’re the only one willing to stand up and do the right thing?

You might think to yourself, “Hey, if everyone else is goofing off instead of listening, won’t they just think I’m a goody-goody?” Or “If I don’t go along with everyone else, I won’t have any friends.”

I had a situation like this too.

Tell the kids about a time when you were a kid—or an example from adulthood that is age-appropriate for them to hear—when you were the only one willing to stand up and do the right thing.

Sometimes standing up for what’s right might make you stand out. But here’s the real truth. Doing the right thing is the right thing! Deep down, you know that making the right choice is always the best choice. Maybe other kids might think you’re crazy. But guess what? God sees and knows all. He sees it when you make wise choices. And those wise choices will always be the best thing for you. And even if you feel alone, you’re not. God is always with you. You can stand for what’s right, even when it’s not popular.

But we’ll need some help to stand for what’s right even when it’s not popular. Let’s pray and ask God for his help.

Prayer:

› Thank God for reminding your team that it’s important to have conviction and to do the right thing.

› Tell him that you know that it might not always be easy and that sometimes your team may be the only ones doing the right thing.

› Ask him to help your team to remember that he’s always with them, that he sees all that they do, and when they do the right thing, they make him proud.

3rd-6th GRADE ONLY INTERACTION QUESTIONS

1. Why is God’s opinion of us so much more important than the opinions of the people around us?

2. What are some reasons being right is better than being popular?



Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 3Review:



Bottom Line: When you stand for what’s right, others can see God.

Have you guys ever heard the story about three guys named Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Well, besides having some really cool-sounding names, these three guys were really brave. In fact, they showed conviction in a way that you and I will probably never have to.

King Nebuchadnezzar was the head guy in charge, and he didn’t follow God. Instead, he thought it would be better to pray to a statue, so he had this 90-foot-tall gold statue built and he made a law that everyone had to bow down and worship it. If you didn’t, guess what? The king said you would be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Well, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the conviction to say, “This is not right!” They knew that no one but the one, true God deserved their worship! As you can imagine, King Nebuchadnezzar was furious! He called them in to give them a chance to explain themselves. And they told him this: “We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive. He will save us from your powerful hand. But we want to know this. Even if we knew that our God wouldn’t save us, we still wouldn’t serve your gods. We wouldn’t worship the gold statue you set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18 NIrV)

Can you believe that? Talk about conviction. Have you heard the rest of the story? They were thrown into the furnace. And God did save them. But even if he had not, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego still knew something really important. When you stand for what’s right, others will see God. They knew that they had influence. They knew that their choice to follow God would be seen by others. And when they walked out of that furnace without any marks or burns, King Nebuchadnezzar realized that there really was only one true God!

The same is true for you and me. We have the opportunity every day to show conviction. And when we do, just like in this amazing story, we can show others who God is!

Let’s thank God for the amazing example Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego gave us of conviction.

Prayer:

› Thank God for the awesome true story of his power!

› Tell him your team wants to have faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and show conviction—even when the outcome is unknown.

› Ask him to help your team to trust and keep doing what’s right so that they can influence others around them.


1. How would Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s conviction have shown others who God was, even if God hadn’t chosen to save them from the fire?

2. You likely will not have to risk your life to do the right thing, but what are some things you risk when you stand for what’s right?






Bottom Line: When you know what God says, you can stand for what’s right.

When it comes to conviction, it’s not always easy to keep doing the right thing. In fact, sometimes it just seems easier to give up. There’s an awesome verse that I would love for us to learn really quickly. Second Thessalonians 3:13 says, “Brothers and sisters, don’t ever get tired of doing what is good.” Can you say that with me?

(KIDS and COACH): “Brothers and sisters, don’t ever get tired of doing what is good.”

Ask the kids to repeat it three more times in different ways—say it to your neighbor, whisper it, stand up and say it, sit down and say it again, etc.

Guess what? God knows it’s hard to stand up for what’s right. He knows we will get tired. But this verse reminds us to never give up. Even when it’s hard, even when we’re tired. And one big way to keep us motivated to do the right thing is by knowing what God says.

The Bible is full of examples of people who kept doing what was good, even when it was hard. One example was Daniel. Daniel refused to eat the food from the King’s table because he knew it went against God’s law. And though he could have been in big trouble, Daniel chose to do what he knew was

right and good according to God’s Word. In the end, the leaders over him recognized that nothing would keep Daniel from following the one true God. Daniel was able to do what was right because he knew what God had said.

The same is true for us. Even when you’re the only one, even when it’s hard, even when you’re tired—you need to keep doing the right and good thing. When we know what God’s Word says, we can stand up for what’s right.

Let’s pray and ask God to help us stand up for what is right.

Prayer:

› Thank God for reminding your players how important it is to know what his Word says so that they can follow him.

› Tell him you want your team to be like Daniel who knew what his Word said and it gave him the courage to do the right thing.

› Ask him to help your team to never tire of doing what is right this week.


1. What are some of the things that we have to stand up for in our lives because we know what God’s Word has to say?

2. Why do you think we sometimes get tired of standing up for what’s right?



Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 5Introduce:

› Virtue: RESPECT - Showing others they are important by what you say and do.

› Scripture Verse: Show proper respect to everyone. 1 Peter 2:17 (a) (NIrV)

Bottom Line: Respect God by respecting people he’s put in charge.

Introduction:

For the next few practices, I want to talk about the word respect. Respect is showing others they are important by what you say and do. Can someone give me an example of how you show respect to your mom? (Pause and let kids respond.) What about your teacher? What about me, your coach?

There are certain people like your parents, teachers and even me, your coach, who are in charge of you. For example, I’m responsible to help you learn the skills you need to be a successful baseball team. Your parents trust me to keep you safe on the field, to teach you how to work together and to help you grow as an athlete. When you’re at baseball practice, your parents are trusting that I’m taking care of you.

Having someone in charge is actually a good thing. Imagine what baseball practice would be like if you just showed up and didn’t have a coach? You probably wouldn’t learn a lot about the game. Or what about after practice? What if your parents decided to take a night off? That would stink right? First of all, how would you get home? And what about dinner? Who’d help you finish your homework?

God puts people in your life to be in charge of you—to protect you, to provide for you, to teach you and to care for you. I’m sure you think it would be fun to be the teacher for a day or to spend a day at your

house with no parents. But you need these people. They are important in your daily life. And you need to make sure they know you see how important they are. That’s where respect comes in. When you use kind words toward your mom, she knows you appreciate all she does for you. When you do kind things for your teacher, he knows you see the importance of how he is helping you to learn.

But when you do these things, you aren’t just respecting the people in charge, you are respecting God! He chose your parents to be your parents. He chose your teachers, coaches and leaders. And when you understand that each of these people was put in your life by God, it’s even more reason to show them respect! Remember, respect God by respecting people he’s put in charge.

That’s really easy to talk about but it’s not always easy to do. So let’s pray and ask God to help us show respect.

Prayer:

God, we know you’ve put people in charge of us because you care about us. Help us to show them respect by the way we respond with our words and our actions. Thanks for loving us enough to give us people like our parents, teachers and coaches. We are grateful, even when we don’t always show it. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.


1. Who has God put in charge of you?

2. Why do you think they are important?

3. What are some ways you can show respect to these people?






Bottom Line: Respect God because he’s in charge of everything.

Can anyone remember what we talked about at our last practice? (Pause as players respond.) Right! Respect. Respect is showing others they are important to you by what you say and do.

Today I want to tell you about a man, a soldier actually, who amazed Jesus with his great faith. The soldier was called a centurion. He was in charge of lots and lots of soldiers. And all those soldiers respected the centurion. When the centurion said, “Go!” they went. And when he said, “Fight!” they fought. He understood what it meant to be respected and to show respect to others.

But this centurion had a problem. His servant was paralyzed; he couldn’t walk and was in a lot of pain. Wanting to get some help, the centurion found Jesus and told him about his sick servant. When Jesus asked if he would take him to see the servant, the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not good enough to have you come into my house. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed by the man’s faith! See, the centurion knew that Jesus could heal his servant with just a word because everything is under his power. The centurion saw that Jesus wasn’t just some man. He was God’s own Son and was in charge of everything.

Jesus said, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” (Matthew 8:13) And just like that, his servant was healed! The centurion had faith that Jesus could heal someone even without seeing the person! The centurion respected Jesus as the Son of God.

When we understand how awesome our God is, we must give him the respect he deserves. Respect means showing someone they are important by what you say and do. And no one is as important as God! God spoke the world into existence. He said “mountain” and a mountain appeared. He gave you that red hair and love of chocolate ice cream. He knows you so well that he could tell you at this moment just exactly how many of those red hairs you have on your head. He controls the winds and waves. God can paint a rainbow in the sky or cover the whole earth in darkness. He is in charge of everything. No one deserves more respect than God—the Master of the universe! And when we realize who he is, just like the centurion did, we can’t help but show him respect. That’s why it’s important to respect God because he’s in charge of everything.

Prayer:God, thank you for this cool story about the centurion who showed so much respect to Jesus. Help us to do the same by showing you the respect you deserve. Help us to honor you with our words and our actions so that you are pleased by what you see. Thanks for sending Jesus to show us who you are. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.


1. How did the centurion show respect to Jesus?

2. What are some ways in which you can respect God?

3. Are there things you do that show disrespect to God? What are they and how can you change those habits?






Bottom Line: When you respect others with your words, you show respect to God.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Think before you speak?” How about, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all?” The words you choose are really important. Your words have the ability to hurt or help. The big problem with hurtful words is that once you’ve said something, it’s hard to take it back.Here are few examples. I want you to give me a thumbs up if these are respectful, helpful words and a thumbs down if these are disrespectful, hurtful words.“Great job! Way to run hard to first base!”“Because you dropped that ball, we totally lost the game. You are such a loser.”“I can’t believe you broke my new remote-control car. Why can’t you do anything right?” “Thanks for helping me with my math homework. You’re really good at math!”“When you finish playing with that can I have a turn please?”“You ate the last cookie! I was gonna eat it. You ruin everything. I’m never having you over to play again.”Great job! It’s pretty easy to figure out which words are helpful and which words are hurtful. But if it’s so easy for us to recognize helpful words now, why don’t we choose them in the moment? I think it goes back to thinking before we speak. Is your new remote-control car more important than a friendship you’ve had since preschool? What’s worse? Losing a baseball game or losing a friend?

Showing respect means choosing words that help people instead of hurt them. When we choose to encourage our friends instead of making fun of them, we show respect. And when we respect others with our words, we show respect to God. How? Because God loves every person we meet. And just like it would hurt your feelings and make you feel disrespected if someone said something mean to someone you love, it hurts God when we say mean things to others. So I have a challenge for you. I want to you think before you speak. When you’re tempted to say something hurtful because you’re frustrated, I want you to pause, take a deep breath and think about whether the words you’re about to say show respect. I challenge you to stop and decide if what you’re about to say might hurt your friendship in the long run. Think before you speak knowing that when you respect others with your words, you show respect to God.

Let’s pray and ask God to help us choose our words carefully.

Prayer:

God, thanks for the big reminder that our words make a huge impact on others. We want to show respect to them and to you by choosing words that help instead of hurt. Help us to really think before we speak. Thanks, God. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.


1. Why is it important to say only helpful words to our friends?

2. Why is it important to say only helpful words to people we aren’t necessarily friends with?

3. What is something we could come up with as a reminder to think before we speak?



Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 8Introduce:

› Virtue: JOY - Finding a way to be happy, even when things don’t go your way.

› Scripture Verse: Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful. Philippians 4:4 (NIrV)

Bottom Line: I can have joy because God sent his Son.

Today, I’m going to read you a story. Maybe you’ve heard it before. Maybe it’s your first time ever hearing it. But this story is one of the most famous stories in all of history. Listen to this:

(From Luke 2:1-7)

A long, long time ago, there lived a man named Caesar Augustus. Caesar Augustus was in charge of the whole Roman Empire, kind of like our president is in charge of our country. And he wanted to know exactly who he was in charge of. So he decided to make a list of every person in the Roman Empire. In order to be officially put on Caesar Augustus’ list, all the people in the Roman Empire had to go back to the place they were born.

That is why a man named Joseph and a woman named Mary traveled to a town in Judea called Bethlehem—Joseph’s hometown. Mary was engaged to Joseph and was expecting a baby.

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for the child to be born. She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. They were sharing a room with animals because space was tight. The whole town was full of people who had come to be put on Caesar Augustus’ list.

Okay, if you’ve heard this story before, raise your hand. (Pause for responses.) Awesome. Now, can anyone tell me who the Baby was who was born that night? (Pause for players to respond.) It was Jesus! And when do we usually talk about Jesus’ birth? That’s right! We celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas.

So why in the world would I read the Christmas story to you today? Well, for the next few practices, we’re going to talk about what it means to have joy! Joy is finding a way to be happy, even when things don’t go your way. Notice I said, “when” not “if.” See, I can guarantee there will be times when things don’t go your way. I guarantee there will be times when you are the exact opposite of happy. But no matter what happens, you can always choose how you respond. You can always find a way to be happy. You can choose joy. Know why?

Because over 2,000 years ago, God sent his Son Jesus to the earth. So how does that make you happy when you aren’t allowed to go to your friend’s house or when your iPod breaks? Joy is about finding something to be happy about. And the good news is, no matter what happens, whether you mess up or something totally unfair and wrong happens to you, God never changes. Two thousand years ago he already loved you enough to send Jesus. And because he sent Jesus, you have the opportunity to talk to God, have a relationship with God and live forever with God in Heaven. God loves you so much. That’s a reason to be happy. Even when things aren’t going your way, you can have joy because God sent his Son because he loves you so much!



Let’s pray and thank God for sending Jesus.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we love you. Thank you for reminding us that we can always have joy because you sent Jesus because you love us so much. This isn’t just a story to read at Christmas time. Help us to remember to choose to be joyful, even when things don’t go our way. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.


1. When is it hardest for you to choose joy and be happy?

2. How does the story of Jesus help you find a way to be happy when things aren’t going your way?

3. What is one way you could help yourself remember this story about Jesus and think about it when you are feeling unhappy?






Bottom Line: I can have joy because God has a way to make things right.

Do you ever wish you could see ahead of time how things were going to work out? Wouldn’t it be so cool if you could build a time machine to take you into the future so all your questions could be answered? Questions like: Will we win our game on Saturday? Am I going to get a good grade on my math test? Will I be in the same class with my best friend next year? When you have a situation that you are unsure about, wouldn’t it be totally awesome to know how it will all turn out?

What if I told you that I know someone who does know the future? What if I told you that he doesn’t even need a time machine to tell us whether or not we’ll win our game this week? Can anyone guess who I’m talking about? (Pause as players respond.) That’s right. I’m talking about God!

What if I could promise that even if we lose on Saturday, or you get a bad grade in math or your best friend isn’t your best friend next year that everything would still work out? What if you and I could still be joyful when things don’t go our way?

Well, the truth is, we can. We can choose to be happy even when things don’t turn out the way we’d hoped because God has a plan to make things right. You see, way back in the beginning, when God first created the earth, it was a perfect place. There was no disappointment (like losing a game), no shame (like feeling terrible about your bad

grade) and no sadness (like losing a best friend). When sin, or disobedience, entered the earth, everything changed. We were all separated from God and forced to face the consequences of our own disobedience. But God had a plan and God made it right again.

When God chose to send Jesus, his one and only Son, to earth, he made a way for us to have a relationship with him again. Jesus paid the price for our disobedience. And when we accept what he did on our behalf, we are no longer separated from him. Isn’t that an amazing way to make things right? But God isn’t done yet! He promises that Jesus will come back again and that everyone who has accepted what he did for us will be with God in the end. So, even though there are bumps along the way and some things don’t go our way, we can be happy because God has a way to make things right.

Let’s pray and thank God for the chance to choose joy.

Prayer:

Dear God, thanks for reminding us that you are in control of our future. When we get discouraged or scared about how things will turn out, help us to trust you. Help us to remember that you have a plan to make things right. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.


1. What is happening in your life now that you wish you knew how it would turn out?

2. What are some ways God can make something good come out of a really bad situation?

3. Has anything ever happened differently than you hoped, but it turned out for the better anyway? Tell us about it.






Bottom Line: I can have joy because God’s story is for everyone.

Check this out. In Philippians 4:4 (NIrV) it says, “Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful.” Wait, did you hear the first part? Did it say, “Be joyful sometimes”? Did it say, “Be joyful only on your birthday, or when you’re at Disney World or when you win the baseball game”?

No way! This verse says we can be joyful always. And then it says it again—be joyful! But how is it even possible to be happy all the time? The answer is right there in the verse. You can be joyful—always—because if you have accepted what Jesus did for you, you belong to God! You see, real joy is a choice. Real joy happens when you understand that God loves you so much he sent Jesus so that you can belong to God.

God made the WHOLE world—creeks and oceans, ants and elephants, molehills and mountains. But of all the things he made, he loves you the most. The Bible says that you are his most prized creation. But when we disobeyed God and sin entered the world, we were separated from our holy, perfect God. And there wasn’t anything we could do about it.

But God loved all of us so much that he sent Jesus, his one and only Son, to pay the price for our sin. God sent Jesus to make a way for us—all of us—to have a relationship with him.

God didn’t just send Jesus for nice people. He didn’t send Jesus just for smart people. Or popular people. Or rich people. He didn’t send Jesus just for you and your best friend or the people that are nice to you. God sent Jesus for everyone.

On the night Jesus was born, did you know that God got a whole choir of angels together to share the good news? Guess who the angels announced this good news to first? A king? Someone famous or powerful? No way. The angels filled the skies over a field full of a bunch of smelly shepherds. The first people to hear God’s heavenly birth announcement were some of the most common, unknown, average people around. Because this good news wasn’t just for some people, it was for everyone!

That good news is for you. It’s for me. It’s for everyone. God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to pay the price of sin for everyone. And that’s a huge reason to find joy, every day, in any situation. You can have joy because God’s message is for everyone.

Let’s pray.

Prayer:

God, thanks for helping us see today that you sent Jesus for everyone. Thanks that we can choose to have joy because of that. Thanks for loving us so much that You would send Jesus to be our Savior. We love You and we pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.


1. Who first told you about God’s story?

2. Why do you think it’s important for everyone to hear God’s story?

3. Is there anyone in your life who might not know the story of God?



Mid-Practice Huddle – Last Practice of the SeasonToday we’re going to talk about something that is very important and very special.

(Pass out Star Bracelet)

Let’s all put our bracelet on. What do the stars on these bracelets remind you of? (Listen for someone to mention the Upward Sports Stars) We are going to use this bracelet to talk about how these stars can help us remember how we can have a relationship with Jesus.

Let’s begin with the BLUE star. Who remembers what our blue star is for? (Listen for ‘effort’) That’s right –the blue star is for effort and we receive it for giving our very best during practices and games. In our life we try and give our very best effort, but we all say and do wrong things. Who remembers what this is called? (Listen for ‘sin’) That’s right - sin. Now can someone tell me who has sinned? (Listen for ‘everyone has sinned’) That’s right. The Bible says that, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

The next star on our bracelet is GOLD. What does the gold star stand for? (Listen for ‘sportsmanship’) Yes, the gold star is for sportsmanship. God’s grace is the perfect example of sportsmanship. God has shown us grace by sending Jesus, his son, to die on the cross for us, even though we don’t deserve it. Because Jesus died for us, he has taken away our sins. The Bible says in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The Bible tells us that we have to believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. So what did Jesus do for us? (Listen for ‘Died on the cross for our sins’)

What’s the next star’s color on our bracelet? GRAY. We get the gray star for the great offense we play during our game. The best offense in our life is to ask Jesus into our heart. In Romans, the Bible tells us, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” What must we ask God to do? We must ask God to forgive us for the things we say and do and think that are wrong, and we must believe that Jesus is alive. (Listen for something similar to ‘Forgive us of our sins or all the things we’ve done wrong’)

The next star color is RED. The red star stands for defense. Because Jesus loved us enough to die for our sins, we need to repent. To repent means to turn away from our sin and run to God. The Bible says, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19). So, how do we repent of our sins? (Listen for something like ‘We turn away from our sins and live for God).

What does the WHITE star stand for? (Listen for ‘Christlikeness’ or ‘To be like Christ’) That’s right, Christlikeness. We are like Christ when we try to live as Jesus lived and allow him to live through us. In Galatians, the Bible tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” So, as others see our lives, they should be able to see Jesus in us.

The last star on our bracelet is GREEN. Each week during practice we receive a green star that stands for the Scripture we have been learning. By learning Scripture, we come to know more about God and he teaches us how to grow in our relationship with him.

So how do we begin this relationship with Jesus and become a part of God’s family? To be in God’s family, we need to understand that we have



sinned. Then we must believe that Jesus took the punishment for our sins when he died on the cross and that God raised him from the dead. We need to ask his forgiveness and then turn away from our sin. Wear your bracelet so that every time you see it, you can remember what Jesus has done for you.

I want all us bow our heads and close our eyes (make sure everyone does this before proceeding). I am going to say a prayer, but before I do, I want you to help me with something. If you listened to today’s devotion and you feel that you want to talk to me more about beginning a relationship with Jesus, or if you have questions about anything I’ve talked about, I just want you to raise your hand on the count of three. I don’t want anyone looking around, and I’m not going to call your name out if you raise your hand. If you want to talk to me later about this, simply raise your hand. One, two, three… (If players raise their hand, remember who they are, but don’t say anything. This process should only take a few seconds). Say a prayer thanking God for this special time with your players.

Post Devotion Process After the prayer, allow your players to continue practicing with your assistant coach while you stay off the field. As they resume practice, quietly call each player that raised their hand separately to talk to him/her about their decision or question. Here is an example of how to begin this conversation:

“Hey, Nicholas, I saw you raised your hand at the end of our mid-practice huddle time. What did you think about what I shared today? (Wait for an answer). What do you think it means to become a Christian?” (This is important; let them explain it to you in their own terms. If they seem confused in their answer, ask these follow-up questions):

› What is sin? (Listen for: everything we say, do or think that is wrong)

› What did Jesus do for us? (Listen for: died on the cross for our sins)

› What does God want us to do in order to become a Christian? (Listen for: ask to forgive us of our sins, turn away from them and live for God)

If a player does not know the answer to a question above, explain the answer in simplistic terms, and then confirm their understanding. Once they understand, encourage them to tell God in prayer the things they told you. If the child is uncomfortable praying, offer to lead the prayer with this example:

“Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I need a Savior. I believe you took my place and died on the cross for my sins. I ask that you please forgive me and I ask forgiveness from my sins and turn away from them. Come into my life and help me to allow you to live through me. I love you, Jesus. Thank you for loving me first. Amen.”




Documents

Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 2 · 2017. 1. 12. · 2016 U U U ® U U 2 Mid-Practice Huddle – Devotion 2 Practice Card Reminder: At the end of this practice, remember to distribute